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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · squash · pit · lie · file · mug · pop · ground

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pop — soda
  5. file — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. file — a document
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pit — in a race
  10. file — a line of people
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — a position
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com